A Special Thanks to Deep Blue Media for providing the images from this meet
World Championships, Day One Men’s Finals: Gregorio Paltrinieri Adds 1500 Free SC Title To Long-Course Gold
Gregorio Paltrinieri resisted a mid-race attack from Henrik Christiansen to add the 1500 freestyle short-course title to his long-course gold at the World Championships in Melbourne. Paltrinieri had enjoyed quite the year, also winning open-water gold at the Budapest World Champs to solidify himself as one of the sport’s all-time great distance performers.
Out quickly with only Shogo Takeda for company in the fastest heat, the Italian found himself only 0.04 ahead of Christiansen with 400 to go.
Another surge saw him pull ahead and extended his lead to stop the clock at 14:16.88 as he claimed the short-course title for the second time, eight years after gold in Doha.
Damien Joly overhauled Christiansen for second in 14:19.62 with the Norwegian rounding out the podium in 14:24.08.
Daniel Jervis finished sixth overall with his leading time of 14:30.47 from the slowest heat.
It was Paltrinieri’s fifth global title in the longest race in the pool and he said:
“It has been a long time since my last gold medal in this event in the short course pool; it’s been a long journey since the gold medal from the 2014 short course world championships in Doha. It’s good to be back.
“I have been racing in a lot of open water events and also that emphasis has been an important part of my training.
“I am back in Australia after almost five years and I came here with only shorts and tee shirts. But in Italy it is zero degrees so I am happy to be here. Of course the situation is the same for everybody but it was super cold tonight. Although I can say that I was well prepared.”
Paltrinieri’s gold was followed by another crown for Italy when the men won the 4x100m freestyle in a new world record.
The Italians have enjoyed a successful year with five golds among an overall medal haul of nine at the World Championships in Budapest.
That was followed by 13 golds among a 35-strong medal total at the European Championships in front of a vocal home crowd at the Foro Italico.
Paltrinieri said:
“We have a strong group (of Italian swimmers), it’s crazy. We have a nice group of guys, We are winning a lot in Budapest and at the Europeans this summer. The meet was in Rome, and it was at home where we destroyed everybody. It’s better than before.
“Yesterday we had a team meeting, i am the captain of the squad. I am teaching some things to the young guys and they are teaching some things to me. I just told them to have fun because I always had fun racing and competing.”
Paltrinieri’s splits:
Overall Summary
- Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA): 14:16.88
- Damien Joly (FRA): 14:19.62
- Henrik Christiansen (NOR): 14:24.08
- Shogo Takeda (JPN): 14:25.95
- Logan Fontaine (FRA): 14:27.90
- Daniel Jervis (GBR): 14:30.47
- Charlie Clark (USA): 14:33.93
- David Johnston (USA): 14:35.27
